I’ve this given advice to friends before: remove the everyday obstacles to the things you want to do. We make excuses for ourselves. Too tired. Too hungry. Too much in debt. Too dangerous. Too weak. Too scrawny.

And as of this morning, I removed an obstacle and move one step forward. One step closer to something I’ve thought about for over twelve years but never had the “ideal” geographic location or financial wherewithal to follow through on.

Dear DrFaulken,
Thank you for enrolling in the motorcycle safety
program. PLEASE BRING A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL WITH YOU TO CLASS ALONG
WITH A PEN, PENCIL AND A HIGHLIGHTER. When calling or writing to MSCV,
use your confirmation number printed below.

I registered for the beginner’s Motorcycle Safety Foundation course tonight. I’ll be going to a three-day session starting on 9/23. The first day is classroom only, the second and third days are driving drills and a driving test. Successful completion of the course means I only have to take the written motorcycle test from DMV to pass, which should be a piece of cake. After all, I’ve been taking and passing the online practice test for the last three years :).

The MSF course will provide a bike and helmet (yuck) for everyone registered in the class. I plan on bringing my own, as the idea of wearing the same braincase that Joe Mullet had on last week is not very appealing. Hopefully I can find a helmet that fits me locally and then buy it online for big savings. I also intend to take the written portion of the motorcycle test “for real” at the DMV. This will entitle me to a learner’s permit, which bears certain privileges, like riding around during daylight hours. I’m not sure if passing the written test prior to the MSF course counts towards my actual operator’s permit, but at least I can get some on-seat time before class rolls around. I’ve driven a standard car all my driving life, but I’d rather know how to operate the motorcycle before class so I can concentrate on the more important things, like how not to get squashed by a soccer mom in her SUV.

I might go through the course and decide that riding a motorcycle isn’t for me. But at least I can’t lie to myself and say I didn’t have the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike.